Birch, Alder, Oak and Apple
by Kaita Beth
Summary: When Bella moves to Forks with her sister Alice, the first guy she notices is Edward Cullen. His status and celebrity looks kept her from talking to him, but when reality comes his way and he begins to notice her, his girlfriend Rosalie gets in the way.
1. Birch: Part One

**Author's Chapter Notes: **

I basically came up with this while I was lying in bed last night. I awoke the next morning to a school day canceled due to the snow, and so I started writing. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

Birch, Alder, Oak and Apple

Birch: Part One

"Dad," Alice started. "Where are we going. It seems like we're driving more towards the middle of no where by the second." My father had just picked my sister and I up from the Washington airport in his old Ford truck. The two of us had lived in Phoenix with our mother, but she was getting remarried and decided we should spend some time with our dad before we go off to college and live on our own. I thought it was a good idea at the time, although I was a little sad about leaving her.

Charlie shook his head in amusement. "Alice, don't worry, you'll be fine." Alice would never be mistaken as a country girl the way she dressed, and I highly doubted she would like living in a house surrounded by forest. I, on the other hand, wouldn't mind a bit. The busyness of the city was starting to get to me.

Alice's eyes widened when we passed a sign that read 'bear crossing'. "B-bear crossing?" she stuttered. "Oh no, no no. That sign _better_ be an exaggeration."

Charlie turned his head toward Alice where she was sitting beside him in the passenger seat and his hand extended to her shoulder. "I've lived here since I was a teenager and, let me assure you, I've only seen a bear a few times, but not in the past twenty or so years. The town has too many buildings and cars for the bears to come out."

We turned into the driveway of a small country-like house. The white paint was flaking off the sides and the driveway, as far as I could see, had never been paved. To me it felt like home, but it was a world from what Alice was used to and preferred.

The three of us got out of the car and Charlie offered to help carry Alice's bags inside. He gave me an apologetic look and turned to help unload the many pink suitcases. I took my one large duffel bag and carried it upstairs. Out of the two extra bedrooms, one was painted bright pink and significantly larger than the other, which was painted a soft green. I couldn't help but smile at the fact that the house was in the same condition as the time when Renee, Alice and I lived here with Charlie many years ago.

I chose the smaller room with green walls, knowing Alice would want the larger, pink one. After I dropped my bag off on the bed, I went back downstairs to help Charlie and Alice with the suitcases. A loud huff told me that Alice could barely lift her own suitcases. I laughed and opened the front door. "I told you that you would regret bringing so many clothes, Ali."

"I don't regret it, Bella. I just wish I hadn't brought so much."

"That's regretting it," I laughed.

"Whatever," Alice chimed in a fake preppy schoolgirl voice.

"Come on, I'll help you." Charlie, Alice and I lifted the suitcases upstairs into the larger guest bedroom and were finished in roughly twenty minutes. I took a long shower afterward to help ease away the soreness and tension in my back. I felt much better when I got dressed into clean sweats.

"Bella!" Alice called from outside my bedroom door as I was beginning to unpack. "Can you stay in my room instead?"

I sighed. "Why? Are you afraid the bears might come get you?" I spoke, jokingly.

"Bella, please, I just need someone to talk to." Alice and I had always been so close to each other. When we had no one else to spill our problems and secrets to, we could count on each other. I knew when we decided to move that this would be hard for Alice even more so than for me because she had a real life back in Phoenix. She had many good friends, although she often said I was her closest, and she had a boyfriend. Jasper and Alice were _the_ couple all through sophomore and junior years. Alice had once told me that from the moment her eyes met his, she knew, no matter how cliché it is, that he was the one she was meant to be with. But then again, she could make insights like that effortlessly, almost as though she were psychic.

I opened my bedroom door to reveal Alice. She had fake puppy-dog eyes and a quivering frown plastered on her face, but I could see in her eyes that she knew what I was going to say. "Just let me re-pack the clothes I started to put away." Alice's eyes lit up and she began jumping up and down – her happy dance. "Do you have enough room for my clothes in your room?"

"You won't need more than a drawer out of the dresser and a foot of closet space. I have plenty of space; don't worry."

I took the clothes I had put away out of the dresser and back into my duffel bag before dragging it across the hall into Alice's room. "This pink really is blinding," I commented.

Alice ignored me. "Thank you so much for staying in here!"

"Umm...Alice?" When I walked into the room I noticed there was only one bed. "Where will I sleep?"

"You can sleep....Good point." Alice walked over to the bed and divided it in half with her arm, then got up on it and lied down so her body was across it the short way before making her decision. "We can both fit on it; I think it's a double."

"We better. I am _not_ sleeping on the floor."

"Correction: _I_ am not sleeping on the floor. You, however, might."

"Yeah," I laughed. "Right, Alice.

* * *

**Chapter End Notes:**

Don't forget to review!

Visit me on Twilighted, also, under the penname _Kaita_.


	2. Birch: Part Two

**Author's Chapter Notes:**

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

Birch, Alder, Oak and Apple

Birch: Part Two

By the time Alice and I finished unpacking, we were exhausted and decided we had better get to bed so we would be rejuvenated for school the following morning. At 5:30 on Monday morning the alarm clock rang and I flew up in surprise, bringing the covers with me. "My god!" I screeched when I looked at the time. "5:30 Alice!?"

"You can go back to sleep for a while seeing as you have no sense of style and take minimal amount of time to get dressed. _I_ have to get ready," Alice said matter-of-factly with a hint of sleep laced into her high-pitched voice. It beat me how she could sound so awake and exuberant after just waking up.

"You bet I am," I grumbled. My head dropped lazily back onto the lumpy pillow and my eyes fell closed. The sound of water running lulled in the background as I sank into unconsciousness effortlessly.

My eyes shot open when I heard the loud bang of what sounded like a door hitting a wall. "You're still in bed!" Alice yelled. "Get _up_!"

"Mmm..." I groaned.

Alice sighed in frustration. "Ugh. Lazy," she muttered under her breath. "I'll get your clothes ready. You get out of bed, take a quick shower and do your hair and teeth." There was no way she could not be thrilled at the opportunity to choose what I wore that day, but her voice, surprisingly, didn't show it. She was the kind of girl you would automatically group as a prep. With the always straightened hair, designer clothing, and subtle, but effective makeup, not to mention expensive high-heeled shoes – at least a pair to match every outfit – it was hard not to.

When I walked back to our bedroom, Alice had selected an orange tank top with purple lettering and a black tank to fit underneath. For bottoms, she chose faded denim jeans. I appraised the outfit as I dressed myself. The shirt, I decided, was okay – not too fancy or expensive looking – but the jeans, on the other hand, looked too tight for my liking, though Alice had always insisted that I had the figure to wear them. I would have argued, but the clock either moved too fast or I was over-tired from the previous day's activities. Nevertheless, it was not turning out to be a good day.

As soon as I was finished upstairs, I went downstairs and ate the granola bar Alice had given me while she ushered me out the door into the truck a good friend of Charlie's had sold him.

It was the first day of school for Forks, Washington. Normally I would have been okay with that idea; if Alice and I hadn't moved to Forks, I would have been sick of the hot summer weather in Phoenix and glad to get out of the house and have an excuse for not shopping with Alice, but not here in Forks. I knew Alice would get pulled into a group and have friends the second she entered the building, but people take one look at me turn the other way. I have boring facial features, a horrible physique, though Alice thought otherwise, no sense of style whatsoever, and worst of all, I'm clumsy. No one wants a friend who embarrasses them all the time.

"Aren't you so excited!?" chirped Alice happily from the driver's seat.

"Thrilled," I answered sarcastically.

Alice pulled into the school parking lot and parked the old faded red Chevy. It was situated between a gleaming silver Volvo and a large Jeep. I had thought Alice and my Chevy fit in with the rest of the automobiles in Forks, but from looking at these vehicles, I began to think differently. It was when I turned around and faced the rest of the parking lot that I realized that our truck wasn't anything out of the norm.

After grabbing my backpack from the bed of the truck, I met Alice behind it and we walked toward the school. Many of the students stared at us, trying not to be too obvious, when we entered the building. Almost immediately Alice was in a conversation with someone and I was stuck standing awkwardly beside her.

"Hey." A childish sounding male voice spoke to me unexpectedly, making my head jerk up from the tile I was focusing on.

"Umm....Hi," I replied shyly. I quickly, subtly, looked the boy up and down. His hair was a blond color, slightly yellower and brighter than most blonds, and his physique was lumpy and shapeless. Though he couldn't be classified as over-weight-looking, I would say he looked chubby, like he was yet to lose his baby-fat.

"I'm Mike. Mike Newton," he introduced himself with confidence. He reminded me a lot of a guy who wasn't the coolest kid but was really trying to fit in with the preps; a wannabe.

I stuck out my hand carefully, not sure if I would rather be his friend or have none at all. "My name is Bella Swan. My sister and I just moved here from Phoenix."

"Phoenix, huh? How have you adjusted to life here?" I furrowed my brows slightly at the weird question, but answered all the same.

"I just got here yesterday, so I haven't, really."

"Oh, wow." He sounded shocked, but I would have guessed that if Alice and I had lived here any longer, the small town would have found out eventually. "So what is your schedule like for this semester?"

"I'm not--" I began.

"Excuse me!" a girls voice interrupted me. She pushed between Mike and I rudely. "Eddie..." her voice immediately transformed into a whine. I turned to look at what was going on, although I couldn't doubt she was one of the preps and was speaking to her boyfriend. "Someone took my parking space." I couldn't help but notice that the lobby was almost silent. Everyone was listening to the conversation unfolding.

A boy with shiny bronze hair and glowing emerald eyes looked at the blond girl I had assumed to be his girlfriend with a look that I found hard to decipher. He was clearly hiding an emotion, but it was difficult to tell what. A sense of boredom and a lack of freedom seemed to loom around him, making me believe that he was bored with his life, but from previous encounters with preps and jocks in Phoenix, I knew that it was more likely he was in a boring, restrained relationship, rather than a boring life he had to hold back from living freely, though that was mixed into the picture, too.

"Bella," Alice whispered trying not to break the silence of the on-watchers. "Let's go find our classes so we're not late."

I nodded and turned around to walk out the lobby doors. My head was still buzzing in thought trying to decode the emotions that played for merely seconds on the boy's face.

"What is your first class?" Alice questioned once we were out the lobby doors. I was surprised she didn't say anything about the scene inside.

I took the schedule out of my backpack and quickly looked it over before answering her. I had Biology first, then honors English, lunch, Physical Education and Calculus. "I have Biology with....Umm Mr. Banner."

Alice pointed to a building. Above the door it said "Science Hall" and I guessed that was where I was supposed to be. "So that is _your_ first class. _My_ first class is an English class, but it's an AP, so I _think _it'll be..." Alice glanced around the school grounds before pointing out another building. "Right there. So, I guess I'll see you later!"

"See you," I said gloomily. The early-morning activities apparently weren't enough to wake me up. I silently prayed I would be able to stay awake for all my classes; falling asleep during class on the first day of a new school year in a new town surly wasn't the way to go if I wished to have a good year.

When I walked into the classroom, I was surprised to find that I was one of four students of whom had already arrived to class, but I supposed that was a good thing. It would give the three other students a chance to talk to me, perhaps, so I would at least have a few people to help me if I had a question, not that I could – or would -- ever approach anyone and began a decent conversation. I took a seat toward the back of the room, hoping no one would sit by me, or notice me, for that matter.

After I took an old binder out of my backpack and set it on the black table-top, a friendly-looking girl approached me and introduced herself as Angela Weber. I told her that my sister and I moved from Phoenix and that we were living with our father, whom she knew. Charlie was the Forks police chief, so in such a small town, everyone knew him.

I chatted with her, asking a few questions about the school. She seemed like a very nice, down-to-Earth girl; just the type of person I would want to befriend, and, best of all, it appeared as if she didn't care what people thought of her, to an extent, of course.

While we were talking, many more people showed up. I pursed my lips in disgust when Mike Newton came strolling in like he was the center of attention. I moved my body casually to the side in an attempt to hide myself from him so he wouldn't sit with me. As soon as he moved from the doorway, I noticed the mysterious bronze-haired boy entering.

I realized I must have been gaping at him because Angela whispered, "That's Edward Cullen. He is definitely the most popular guy in school," she told me, then began quickly rattling off the sports and activities he likes. "Basketball, soccer, baseball, football, of course, and he does well in school, too. Straight A student." I nodded my head as the bell rang. Edward took a seat toward the front of the room.

"Good morning class!" Mr. Banner greeted us in a cheery voice. "Are you excited for the first day of this new school year?" His response was many grunts and groans. I thought I heard Mike's voice speak the only "yes" I heard. "Good, good. Now, first on today's agenda is to assign seats. I know how much you hate them, but it's easier for me to learn names if you're in the same seats everyday. I've made a random list of names for the order so no one can complain, though I'm sure you will anyway." The teacher took the list from his large desk and began to read the names after telling everyone to stand at the back of the room. I tried to pay attention so I could familiarize myself with the people, but I was too focused on Edward.

He was standing in the back corner and Mike was standing closest to him. _Not a surprise_, I thought. It was a surprise, however, that Edward wasn't talking to anyone. I wondered if he was smarter than most of his friends, therefore didn't have any classes with them. Just thinking of that fact made me contemplate whether he really was where he wanted to be in life with the high status. Something about his expression made me realize that he was hiding a whole other part of him. Why would he be hiding who he is, though?

"Bella Swan and Edward Cullen," Mr. Banner called.

* * *

**Chapter End Notes:**

Be sure to leave a review as it really motivates me to write!


End file.
